In vitro Evaluation of Anti-obesity Potential of Phyllanthus Fraternus Leaves

Obesity has been an important health concern for over a decade, causing serious health issues worldwide. Treatments available for obesity include FDA-approved drugs such as Lorcaserin, Orlistat, Bupropion, combinations of Phentermine and Topiramate, and Sibutramine; however, these have adverse effects on health. To address the said issue, the current study was conducted to evaluate the anti-obesity potential of Phyllanthus fraternus leaves. These leaves are a rich source of different phytochemicals (e.g., alkaloids, saponins, terpenoids, tannins), and the plant has been shown to exhibit medicinal properties; therefore, it can be used for treating obesity disorders. The crude extract of plants was prepared in three different solvents (e.g., methanol, hydro alcohol, and isopropyl alcohol). Lipid inhibition was determined using lipase inhibition assay, and amylase assay was carried out to determine if the plant extract had anti-diabetic properties. An oil red staining was carried out to determine lipid accumulation in which the cells were incubated with plant extract for 48 h. To determine if the plant extract was toxic to 3T3 cells, an MTT assay was carried out to assess cell viability. Through lipase inhibition assay, we depicted potent anti-obesity properties, isopropyl alcohol extract exhibited 67.45% inhibition at the concentration of 500µg/ml. Methanol extract showed the highest percent of α amylase inhibition i.e., 90.03% at a concentration of 1,000 µg/ml. The MTT assay concluded that the plant extracts were not cytotoxic to the cells at a concentration range between 20µg/ml to 100µg/ml, and the percentage of viable cells was 98-63%. The results obtained from the current study revealed that the plant exhibits potent anti-obesity properties. Thus, this plant extract is a potential source as an alternative treatment to treat obesity.